Rusting on painted surfaces inside or outside the home can be a hassle for many homeowners. Instead of letting rust stains destroy painted surfaces indoors or outdoors, clean them up with household chemicals or special rust removers.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Using household chemicals
Step 1. Clean the rusted area with a stiff brush and concentrated detergent solution
This will remove any rust from the paint surface without damaging the painted surface. Take a plastic or metal brush. Mix detergent with water and scrape off any rust.
Allow the area to dry completely so that not a drop of moisture remains before applying paint or sealant
Step 2. Use a mixture of baking soda and water
Baking soda eats away rust. Apply baking soda to the rusted area, then take a brush dipped in water and scrape the rust off the painted surface. Just rub gently so as not to harm the surface itself.
Step 3. Rub the affected area with dish soap and potatoes
If you're worried about damaging the painted surface or the surface itself is fragile, cut a potato in half and dip it in a bowl of dish soap. Then place half of the potato against the painted surface and scrape off the rust.
After a while, you can cut off the top layer of the potato, dip it back into the product and continue scraping off the rust
Step 4. Use sandpaper to remove the rust
You can always use sandpaper to remove rust. To avoid damaging the painted surface while sanding, use very fine, fine or medium grit sandpaper.
- Be sure to wear safety glasses to protect your eyes when sanding paper. You can also wear a face shield to avoid breathing in the sandpaper particles.
- If sanding paper does not work due to excessive rust build-up, consider using a special rust remover attachment to your drill. This puts the grinding wheel on the drill and removes any stubborn traces of rust.
Part 2 of 3: Applying rust removers
Step 1. Use a low acid rust remover
The acid may cause the paint to fade or fall off altogether. To avoid damaging the painted surface, try to use a neutral to high pH rust remover, that is, moderate to low acidity. Look for a pH neutral rust remover at your local hardware store.
Step 2. Apply a primer to the work area
You can purchase the primer at your local hardware store or paint store. A primer is used to stop the spread of rust and prevent it from further eroding painted surfaces.
Step 3. Apply environmentally friendly rust remover
If you don't want to use harsh chemicals on the painted area, use an environmentally friendly rust remover. They are made from natural ingredients and can be easily washed off with water. You can purchase an environmentally friendly rust remover at your local hardware store.
Part 3 of 3: Preventing paint rust
Step 1. Remove or replace all stainless steel
To prevent rust from reoccurring, you must identify the cause and deal with it. This can be an iron grill or a non-corrosive part on the painted surface, lighting fixtures, or some iron or steel object that is attached to the painted surface. Look for any metal objects that may have rusted and then remove or replace them with stainless ones.
Even if the fasteners were made of rust-resistant materials like aluminum and copper, that doesn't mean screws, bolts, and other fasteners have suffered the same fate. They can lead to rust. Check screws and bolts for rust resistance
Step 2. Apply an anti-corrosion metal primer
If you want to leave non-rust-resistant fasteners on the painted surface, be sure to remove the product from the wall and apply an anti-corrosion metal primer to it. This will protect the metal and prevent the formation of rust both on the product itself and on the painted surface.
Step 3. Dip nails into the painted surface
One of the most common sources of rust is nails that have rusted in a painted surface or along a rusted surface. Look for rusty nails in the painted surface and replace them with new ones. Use a punch to drive nails 3 millimeters below the base surface. This will prevent the nails from trapping moisture from the air and rusting.